Schley County, Georgia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 13249 · population 4,547 · 167 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 158 records for Schley County, Georgia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 143 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (42 records). 86 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the April 5, 1957 tornado: 2 deaths and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1977, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 158on 143 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 28 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $14Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Schley County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 42 since 1980. The rank column places the county among Georgia's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 42 | 39 | 1980-2025 | 0 | 0 | $309K | 122 of 159 |
| Drought | 28 | 28 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | 26 of 159 |
| Hail | 20 | 20 | 1986-2024 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 65 of 159 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 16 | 16 | 2002-2020 | 0 | 0 | $60K | 8 of 159 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 14 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 159 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 159 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 7 | 1954-2017 | 2 | 8 | $9.3M | 60 of 159 |
| Winter storms | 7 | 7 | 2002-2018 | 0 | 0 | $38K | 69 of 159 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2004-2005 | 0 | 0 | $94K | 54 of 159 |
| Floods | 3 | 3 | 1998-2009 | 0 | 0 | $22K | 131 of 159 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2002-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 159 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 159 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | $31K | 113 of 159 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Schley County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Schley County from 1954 to 2017, the strongest rated F2, with 2 deaths and 8 injuries recorded in the county. That is 60th of 159 Georgia counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 7 tornadoes whose track touched Schley County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people, 2 of them in Schley County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-04-05 03:00, as SPC files it | Warner Robins | F2 | 75 mi | 2 |
| 1954-12-05 13:45, as SPC files it | Webster CountyCrossed AL, GA | F2 | 71.5 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Georgia.
Every tornado record filed for Schley County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-04-03 | Walls Crossing, Schley County | EF1 5.48 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $602K |
| 2009-03-15 | Walls Crossing, Schley County | EF0 0.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $172K |
| 1997-11-21 | Ellaville, Schley County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $496K |
| 1963-01-20 | Schley County | F2 4.3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1961-03-31 | Schley County | F2 0.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-04-05 | Schley County | F2 8.6 mi x 400 yd | 2 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1954-12-05 | Schley County | F2 4.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Schley County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 26, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtSchley County · forecast zone Schley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtSchley County · forecast zone Schley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtSchley County · forecast zone Schley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindWalls Crossing, Schley County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2017-04-03 | TornadoWalls Crossing, Schley County | EF1 5.48 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $602K |
| 2009-03-15 | TornadoWalls Crossing, Schley County | EF0 0.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $172K |
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtSchley County and Sumter County · forecast zone Schley | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 1997-11-21 | TornadoEllaville, Schley County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $496K |
| 1963-01-20 | TornadoSchley County | F2 4.3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1961-03-31 | TornadoSchley County | F2 0.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-04-05 | TornadoSchley County | F2 8.6 mi x 400 yd | 2 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1954-12-05 | TornadoSchley County | F2 4.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-04-05 | TornadoSchley County | F2 8.6 mi x 400 yd | 2 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1954-12-05 | TornadoSchley County | F2 4.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 1963-01-20 | TornadoSchley County | F2 4.3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-06-01 | DroughtSchley County and Sumter County · forecast zone Schley | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 2017-04-03 | TornadoWalls Crossing, Schley County | EF1 5.48 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $602K |
| 1997-11-21 | TornadoEllaville, Schley County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $496K |
| 2009-03-15 | TornadoWalls Crossing, Schley County | EF0 0.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $172K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 5, 1957 (tornado, Schley County, 2 killed); December 5, 1954 (tornado, Schley County); January 20, 1963 (tornado, Schley County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Schley County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 3 | 17 | 5 | 3 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Schley County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 13 · Feb 12 · Mar 16 · Apr 21 · May 14 · Jun 15 · Jul 15 · Aug 9 · Sep 16 · Oct 11 · Nov 6 · Dec 10 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Schley County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Schley County: 5 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3642 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3616 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2020-03-29 | DR-4501 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3464 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-10-14 | DR-4400 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2018-10-10 | EM-3406 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017-09-15 | DR-4338 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-08 | EM-3387 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3218 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-24 | DR-1560 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 1994-07-07 | DR-1033 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto) |
| 1977-07-20 | EM-3044 | Drought | Drought |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Schley County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Schley County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $1.2 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Low | $136K | 52 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $114K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $12K | once in about 1,393 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $39K | once in about 773 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $79K | 7.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Very Low | $165K | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $50K | 67 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $37K | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Schley County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in GeorgiaEvery Georgia tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in GeorgiaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Georgia recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Schley CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Schley County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis